'Jungle Book' roars to life in October

Wednesday

Sep 19, 2012 at 12:34 PMSep 19, 2012 at 4:41 PM

The Children's Dessert Theater is set to bring the classic tale of "The Jungle Book" to life in Milford in October. The performances of CDT are known for being interactive and colorful and kids often have a chance to meet the characters afterwards.

Christine Miller

The Children's Dessert Theater, a youth acting program of the Second Street Players in Milford, are currently rehearsing the Vera Morris play, "Jungle Book," which is set to take the stage Friday, Oct. 12 at the Riverfront Theatre in Milford.

Morris' play is an adaptation of Rudyard Kipling's infamous childhood morality tales featuring an abandoned "man cub" Mowgli and the wise advice-giving animals he encounters.

Unlike other SSP performances, the children's theater group offers live entertainment designed specifically for young audiences and families. After each colorful, interactive production, the audience is served free refreshments and given the opportunity to meet with the show's cast for autographs. Costumed participation by the audience is also encouraged at these events.

The play will take the stage for three separate performances. Friday night's kickoff performance at 7 p.m., Oct. 12 will see the return of SSP's "family affordable" night with no set ticket price. Families are simply asked to pay what they can. The Saturday and Sunday afternoon performances will be at 1 p.m. with $10 general admission.

The cast, being co-directed by Josh Gross and Sharon Buchanan, features more than 25 actors who will bring ageless characters like the tiger Shere Khan, the lovable bear Baloo, the panther Bagheera and the sneaky python Kaa to life.

This particular children's production of "Jungle Book" is made possible, in part, by a grant from the Delaware Division of the Arts, a state agency dedicated to nurturing and supporting the arts in Delaware, in partnership with the National Endowments of the Arts.